Improvement in potato-diggers



ELIAS T. FORD,IOI1` STILLWA'IER, NEW YORK.

Letters Patent No. 92,437, dated J'ulg/ 13, A1869,

IMPROVEMENT IN POTATO-DI/GG-ERS.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part of thesame.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ELIAS T.` FORD, of the town of Stillwater', countyot Saratoga, and State of New York, have invented new and usefulImprovement-s in a Potato-Digging Machine,'constructed of differentparts, and so arranged for the purpose in calculation as to be easilymanaged, by a lever operating the spiral-timed cylinder through thebroken potato-hill, taking out and, separating the potatoes fr onijtheearth, without elevating but a small portion of the dirt. The tines arelengthened out as they radiate fromthe hub C, and twisted spirally, inproportion to their rotating velocity and entrance, which is designatedby the drivegear G G. HAnd I do hereby declare that the following is anexact. and full desciiption thereof, reference being had totheaccompanying drawings; marked thereon, making a part ofthisspecification, likefiettersreferring to like parts in the drawings.

' Figure lvis a side view, in perspective, f the machine.

Figures 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, l0, and 1l, are detached sections, asconstructed and arranged in fig. l.

The nature of my invention consists in the construction ofthespiral-tined separator and digger, forming an open rotatingcylinder.

Themain tines are curved from the entering points of each, extendingback continuous to the hub C, and separate from each other, each maintine having two branch tinesjc c, connected to the main tines k It, butnot continued to the hub C, thereby providing large openings for thefree discharge of potatoes and vines at the rear of the spiral-tinedcylinder C K; the cylinder having two functions, both digging andseparating in its rotary motion, taking up the potatoes with a smallquantitypf earth, sift-ing vit from and discharging the potatoes at therear, upon the top of the ground, caused by the peculiar curve or twist,and circular motion of the tines lt with branch tines o r.

Also, the arrangement of the 'vine-cutters z s, auxiliary plows ahead ofthe cylinder removing a greater portion ot' the vines, together with aportion otA earth at the sides, cutting the hill loose, and guarding theentrance and delivery of thel separating-cylinder.

Furthermore, thergreat facility and advantage possessed in elevating anddepressing the control draughtbar E and shafts D, with all of' theirattachments, by means ofthe lever M antlfulcrum X, the whole operatedand moving upon the four-wheeled truck, as the base ofcontrol by theoperator. e

The advantage also of arranging the front extremities of the tines orarms lt k with the circular plate t', armed with teeth or shears, usedfor different soils.

'lo enable others skilled in the a'rt to make and use my invention, Iwill proceed to describe its construc-k tion and operation.

Construction of fig. 1, by reference to fig. 2, and`- other detachedsections.

'lhe separating-cylinder, (as seen in g.,2,')ai"ranged 'structed lhemain tines k may be separate, as a whole, and attached to the hub O,composed of wrought-iron or steel, .orthe branch .tines fu e of steel,or the main tines lt maybe constructed in part of cast-iron, with thehub C, as seenv in iig, 5, and the front portion composed ofwrought-iron or steel, with their branches, and

thenbe connected to the cast arms, bymeans of rivets y or bolts.

The branch tines, to cach main tine, are welded thereto, near the frontextremities of each main tine, consisting ofy more or less, (as seen iniigs. 4 and 2V.)

LA cylinder may be constructed as seen in fig. 11. A front hoop, ofsteel or iron, with teeth or shears cut upon it, similar to a sawf Theirangles, inclined to the left, are arranged and connected to three orwfour main tines'or arms, the same-as those seen in fig. 4 yand fig. 5,with the exception that the branch bars v o are attached to the fronthoop t', or circular plate, extending to the rear with the same spiral.twist as that of the main tines of each come or stand between eachother,

armed with their branches c o.\ The two sections C K G K are made fastto the tube or sleeve L. lhc

l sleeve L may have end-boxes, which constitute bea-rings upon the shaftD. lhe tube L, with its sections, is inserted upon the centre-shaft D,as seen in iig. 2. The guard-plate U is next placed upon and near therear extremity of the tube L. Next in order, I place the centrebevel-gear G, iig. 2- Further, shows the connection of the frontextremity of the shaft D to the rear portion of section E, which issecured Iirmly, by

means of a pin or key.

The end ofthe shaftD and its recess, made within `the rear extremity ofcentre section E may be-'ormed square, and the tube Q, (seen in iig. 3,)may be formed oval, thereby preventing the two plows c c from cant ingeither way when laboring within the ground.

The plows c c, with their sections s s, are attached to the rearextremity of the bent centre-bar E.

One section or arms may be seen in g. 9, with ian oval tube or socket,used for the reception of the' plowstandards, ao'rding greater firmnessto the plows.

vLe

" tre-section E, and the plow-standards are `adjustable to the arms s s,by changes made with the bolts, pins, or their equivalents.

The ova-l tube Q, (seen in fi". 3,) is arranged with and adjusted to thecentre-bar E, (as seen also in iig. 2,) coupling also the bar N withbars P l, forming a yoke; but the short oval tube ,Q is insert-ed withinthe oritice a of shaft N, (as seen in lic. 3,) before the tube Q islocated within the centre-bar or section E.

' ',Lhe short tube Q may be made adjustable to section E by means ofset-screws, one located upon each side. llhe right and left sections FF, with their blades Z Z, are placed upon the shaft N, and are adjustedhorizontally upon, and retained thereto by means of keys or set-screws.

The front axle Y, with its upright fulcrum-standard X, as seen in iig. 7is now arranged withthe front wheels g g, pole-section B, brace M, barN, with its attachments, as seen in tie. 41. The two arms B forming thepole-section, each embrace the front axle V; the bars P P of yoke Nextend forward and are hinged to the pole O; the brace-bar m is attachedto the pole O, and so bent, extending upward and to the rear in line andover the lever M.

rlhe fulcrum-standard X passes up through the tube. Q ot section E, alsothrough the lever M and bracebar fm, and is retained firmly in position.l

The bolt y is inserted underneath the lever M, holding it in position,andacts as the fulcrum upon stainlard X. The standard X becomes thedraught-bar for all the rear attachments.

The shaft D and bar or section E, with their parts connected, arelocated in line with the front and rear drive-wheels A A g g.

lhc rear portion of shaft D is placed above the drive-axle w, enteringthe sleeve t, formed with the frame or yoke H C, and made fast theretoby setscrews, or their equivalent. lhe arms of yoke H C project forward,embracing the main'axle \V near each wheel A A', from thence extendingupward, providing a position for the seat and cross-bar used for thesame.

One of the bevelgears,'G, is placed at the left and upon the main axleW, 'and connected to the pinion G upon tube L. The pitch otl the cogsverges or is turned aside from the centre of each gear G G, for thepurpose of arranging the centre-shaft- D at right angles andover theaxle-shaft ur, as seen in lig. 1, or its may be arranged torun at itscentre lines.

The ratchet-standard R is erect-ed upon the bar or section E, extendingupward to and embracing the lever M, by means of the spring d, attachedto lever I at the side.

rlhe lever M extends forward to and enters the oritice -provided withinthe front extremity of section E.

Operation.

Asthe machine is moved forward, a portion of the vines lying right andleft from the hill, are gathered and cut by the vine-cutters .c thefront wheels g g holding one end when cut, for the'reason that thecntters r: s are moving, and the. opposite ends are held in the hillstationary, and as more fully and perfectly described in` a formerpatent, Also, as thc four wheels i Yare caused to move inthe direction,as indicated by the arrows, the rear axle, with the drive-gear G, bein'gconnected to the centre pinion G, turns or rotates the tube L, withtine-sections C K, G K, (which I term the spiral separator,) to theleft, as indicated by an arrow, continually entering the broken earthand elevating the potatoes, with a small quantity of earth clingingthereto, and by the circular movement and peculiar inclination of thetincs, the remaining earth is sift-ed through the tines, while the`potatoes arc retained momentarily with the vines, and dischargedthrough the openings in rear. y y

The plows C C, in front of the cylinder, cut nearly all the hill at thesides and centre. rlhe inner blades cut alittle below the linesindicated by the entering points ot the cylinder, at the same timeprotecting the front circumference of the cylinder C K from stone,vines, and grass.

The outside mould-boards remove a portion of the earth upon each side ofthe hill containing no potatoes, together withthe cut vines. rEheoperation oit' the'cylinder, as seen in ti". 11, is nearly the same asthat seen in fin'. 4. The front cutting-surface is driven underneath theground or hill, which is forced back upon the separators, producing thesame result.

The weight and draught ot' the plows C O and cyliuder G K rest upon thefront axle, and are elevated or depressed by means ofthe lever M, movingthe lever to the left, thereby dislocating it from the ratchetstandardIt, then pressing downward, thc lever resting fupon thefulcruiii-standard X and pinion Y, elvates the section E, with all ofits attachments, and is held in Vthis position by the standaril It andspring (Land by dislocating the lever from the standard, the parts aredepressed by their own gravity, at the convenience et' the operator.

A pitch is given to the cylinder-titles in front, in order to give thema free and easy entrance through the ground or hill; `the rotatingmovement is to be a trifle faster than the drive-wheels A A. '.lhesection E'is elevated for the purpose of allowing the front wheels g gto pass underneath, in the act ot' cramping and turning around, and notinterfering with any other part.

1. 'lhe digging and separating-cylinder of tines K, formed by acontinuation or lengthening of the arms or tines K K', as they radiatefrom the huh C in .a cylimlrically-spiral form or shape, with thebranches -v 'u and tube or sleeve L, asidescribed.

2. Also, the separating-cylinder of bars, formed by a continuation orlengthening ofthe same, as they radiate from the hub O, andsurroundingtheirfront extremities with the cutting circular plate t t,armed with teeth or shears, and its intermediate bars 1J'1=,extending totheV rear in a cylindrically-spiral inclination or form.

3. Also, the central draught-bar E, with oval tube Q, shaft D, rear tubet, with frame or yoke H C, ratchet-standard R, with spring cZ, lever M,with fulcrum-stamlard X and brace-bar mf.

4. Also, the combination of the four-wheel truck, as the base ot'adjustment and operatiouof the several parts, by the use et' the leverM, together with the' draught-bar E, shaft D, tube t, with yoke H O,yoke or bar N, arms l P, sections F l", knives z @with plane orsickle-edges; the auxiliary plows C C, with double edges and yoke orarms s s, as described, and for the purpose specified.

' ELIAS T. FORD.

Witnesses:

T. BAKER,

E` A. HANNAY.

